Before the pandemic, we lived in a generously simple world with mobile homes catering to the bare minimum needs on the road. A bedroom, convertible living room, kitchenette, dry bathroom, and that was almost it. Most of the interior was paneled with wood and the exterior was done in aluminum for durability. Now, with the likes of Living Vehicle, a Santa Barbara, CA-based boutique travel trailer builder – that has been marrying luxury and sustainability over the years – is redefining the word: luxury mobile living with the new GT series.
Electric trailers by Living Vehicle have been close competitors to the Airstreams. These models are designed to sell a way of life that in Living Vehicle’s ideology is “sustainable, off-grid, and luxurious.” The company has ventured into a new category with the GT series fifth wheelers. These models: the flagship GT39 and the smaller-sized GT32, combine off-grid fierceness with luxury that matches the feel of a yacht on land.
Designer: Living Vehicle
Living Vehicle has always focused on developing off-grid mobile trailers that can be used for full-time living, the Cyber Trailer for instance. The GT39 may be a different unit in approach, but its fundamentals are aligned with the company’s signature style. The fifth wheeler measures 39-foot long and features an architecturally designed interior. It fits the master bedroom – with a king-size bed and panoramic windows – in the gooseneck and is apt for sleeping four to six people with a living room that transforms into a guest sleeper.
The Living Vehicle GT39 model tips the scale at 16000 lbs but has, and we cannot iterate enough, a motor yacht-style luxurious interior comprising 8-foot ceilings, hardwood flooring, powder-coated aluminum cabinets, and top-of-the-line appliances. The living room with reclining seats has a 70-inch home theater system and fireplace, just adjacent is a chef’s kitchen attached to a bar that doubles as a workspace. Next up with the bathroom with a composting toilet and a teak-paneled shower.
Stretching the interior luxury into the exterior landscapes is the fold-down deck of the GT39, which is spacious enough to be used as an outdoor dining space or an outdoor kitchen at the campsite. The fold-down deck is covered with a folding awning. The interesting element of this yacht for the road is the option of installing anywhere between 2.2 and 5 kilowatts of solar panels on the roof. Stretching the entire length and breadth of the LV model, the solar cells can extend onto the awnings for additional coverage. To enhance the self-sustaining capability, this fifth-wheeler’s solar system is supported by a hybrid backup power generator and complemented by a battery pack of 72kWh.
Since the GT39 is meant for permanent, long-term living on the road, it comes with four-season climate control, along with smart home technology, and Starlink connectivity. Living Vehicle is now taking orders for the new GT39, but the pricing for the model is undisclosed. If interested, you would have to get in touch with the company for a quote.
